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The Mavericks’ superstar accompanied the team on its three-game trip that
starts against the LA Clippers on Wednesday night.

He’s still not on the verge of returning to game action from the arthroscopic
surgery on his right knee. But athletic trainer Casey Smith likes to oversee
players when they get close to coming back from injury. At the very least,
Nowitzki’s presence can be construed as a positive sign that his workload
probably is increasing.

It also might get his teammates salivating.

“I think we all are,” said leading scorer O.J. Mayo, whose on-court life
figures to get much simpler when Nowitzki returns. “It’s going to be fun. It’ll
give us our best weapon out there, obviously, and our franchise, our
leader.”

It’ll also force defenders to pay more attention to Nowitzki and perhaps a
little less to Mayo, who has been getting hounded more and more as his shooting
and scoring have become the No. 1 offensive threat for the Mavericks.

“He’s seen trapping defenses really since the third or fourth game of the
season,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “It’s something he’s got to adjust to. As the
third or fourth option in Memphis, he wasn’t seeing those kind of defenses as
much. He’s stepped up his game here, and he’s getting more attention.”

Clippers rolling: After losing four in a row, the Clippers
have won three straight, including Monday night in Utah, a victory that
impressed Carlisle.

“You do what they did, coming from 14 down in Utah in the second half and
win, that’s legit,” Carlisle said. “They’ve got a wide array of weapons. When
you play those guys, you got to be extremely efficient and keep bodies on their
bodies or they’ll jump over your back.”

Flip-flopping: The Mavericks have been pretty respectful
about the new rule that allows the NBA to fine players guilty of flopping.

The first offense gets a warning, then the fines start with the second
infraction. Former Maverick J.J. Barea, now with Minnesota, is one of the
players who already has been warned.

It probably won’t impact at least one Maverick.

“I’m not one of those guys who tries to trick refs,” center Chris Kaman said.
“If a guy runs me over, there’s a difference in the charge rule and the flop
rule.

“A lot of guards come off the pick and roll and look like they got hit by a
Mack truck. But that’s not really how it is.”

Asked about Nowitzki, who came out against the new rule and who has been
known to “sell” a foul call on occasion, Kaman said: “I won’t say anything bad
about Europeans, but they all come over here and play the flop game … wait, I’m
from Germany.”